Electric heater.



.1. H. JENKINS.

ELECTRIC HEATER.

(Application filed Apr. 24, 1897.)

linldi F iiiiiinlili- BEST AVNLABLE COP\ (No Model.)

M'rphissizs.

. UN IT-EDS STATES BESfAVAiLABLE Cori PATENT Gretna- JOSEPH. n. JENKINS, on sonnnacmbrgnnw roan, ASSIGNOR TO THE if (Pennant' E T IO C M ANY, A CORPORATION on NEW YoRn.

' lii'fh fh T sPaciF rcATron 1 Try-all whoiit it v.fimty am -mm Be it'known'that l; .IosnPH II.- J ENKINS,-a citizen-of theUnited Sta'tes ,'residingat Schenecta'dy, couu tyjof; Schenectadygand State of NewfiY ork ';ha .'e;- inventedcert'ain new-and 'nseful ImprorementsjiirElectric Heaters, of

which the followingjs a specification.

p The present? invention relates v to electric V heaters, 'an(l. ln rs fonits object-to provide a "heater ismade that is sufficiently flexible'to support for -the're'sistanee coils of whichthe be fforgned into any desirableshape and su fficie'nhl'y rigidto maiuta' th atsh'ape when so formedf i L.

. In c'arryingoufmy im'fention I preferably employ acore formed of insulated wire and wind upon it the resistance-wire, after which thecore is formed into an open helix.

By employing a coreof thecharactcrabove described'I.;ani'enabled todispense with the -'large' een'tral core over which the wire is'usually'wou ud,-thereby increasing the radiatingi surface ofthe coil andatthe sametixne form- .ing a structure so arranged that cool air nay enterat t-he bottom and be heated on its upwa -djpassageboth through the center of I t he helix and oxrtlie outside. I y

In the accompanying drawings, attached to anduhad'eapart of-this specification, Figure 1 is a -1'ea1 elevation, partiallyin section, of

a heater embodyingmy invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional viewtakenon the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isan enlarged detailview-showing the construction of the core of the resistance.

coils. Figs} and 5 are'modifications.

The heater is composed of a number of counterpart'coils A, each coil being provided with a flexible core consisting of a wire 1 covered with a-bodyof noncombustible in- 140 sulatin g material 0. This wire formsa core which is sulliciently llcxibld to permit the coil to be formedintoany desirable shape, yet is rigid enough to inaiutain'its shape and to support the resistance-wiref is desirable to make the insulation. for the core out of some tough fibrousmaterial, so that it will not split when the core is bent, thereby grounding the coils through the metal core.

I am aware that heretofore electric heaters so'have been proposed in whicha resistancewire has been wound helically upon bars or forming part-pf Letters Patent No. 716,048, dated December 16, 1902. Application iled A'pril 24. iseraser n N5. 633,711. (No model.

tubes whichsupport the wire, but are not flexible, so that the shape of the finished heater is the same as that given the core before the resistance-wire is applied, and also that resistance-wires have been wound upon asbestos cord which are flexible; but in the last-named heater the resistance wire is passed around thesupports and in reality supports the core rather than the reverse.

The principal point of diiferenee in my heater is that I employ a core (preferably of metal for strength and ail-insulated cover) which is flexible and yet will support the resistance-wire and willvwhen bent intoa given shape maintain such shape permanently. Hence I can wind theresistance-wire on the core when straight and'then bend the whole into a helical form, which is at once a cheap I and convenient mode of manufacture and a compact and desirablesf o rm of completed heater. ,e

In constructing the coils the wire B may he made of sufficient length to form the core for all'of the coils in a single heater or a number ofsneh heaters. This is desirable on account of dispensing with joints between parts and also topermit of a simple form of suspension. The resistance-wire D is wound over the core 1 throughout its length, as shown in Fig. 3, an insulating-space being left between the turns. The wire D may or may not be insulated. After a suflicientlength of core B has been wouhd with resistance-wire the core is wound over a suitable mandrel, so that it forms an open helix si milar to ahelical spring. By this arrangement-the resistance-wire D forms a double helix, one around the core 13, the other around the mandrel as a center. The mandrel is then removed andthe turns arranged in parallel groups by bendingthem, as shown in Fig. 1. At the time the groups are formed an eye E is made between them by bending one of the turns at rightangles to the vertical cenler line of the coils. -At this pointthe resistance-wire D is pressed back, so that the core is uncovered at this pointand passes around the su pporting-insulators G, Figs. 1 and 2. By this arrangement all tension and abrasion ofthe resistance-wire is prevented. Mounted in the eye E between each of the groups of coils is a non-combus' that currents of air can readily enter through ST AVAlLABLE COP! tible insulator G, having a circular groove on its outer periphery, in which. the core form ing the eye, rests. The coils are mounted in an inclosing case H, having a cast-metal front H, provided with openings H and'a closed sheet-metal back H The inclosing case is designed to be secured by screws in any suitable manner either in the wall of a buildingor under the seats ofa vehicle. Extending laterally through thecase are rods II, situ- 'ated, respectively, above and below the resistance-coils. These rods support the insulators G and are mounted in lugs J and secured at their. outer ends by nuts K. The ends of the-wire D are insulated from the inclosing casing'bybushings L.

It is immaterial 'whether the wire which forms the core is included in circuit or not;

but I have found that in certain instances it is better not to do so.

It will be seen that the arrangement is such the openings H in the lower part of the castring H and pass upward through theresistance-coils and that the wire of which the coils are com posed presents an extended radiatingsnrface, so that the full benefit is derived from the current which passes through the heater. By forming the core of flexible material and making it continuous I am enabled. to form thecoilsinto any desired shape and to simplify the construction of their support. v

In Fig. 4 is. shown a slight modification in which a flexible insulated core B is wound with resistance-Wire and the whole formed into a helix and inserted into a tube M, the

resistance-wire being insulated from the tube by insulated wire N, which may or may not form a part of the core B. 4

In Fig. 5 is shown a further modification, in which the coil is made in the form oi'a flat spiral. This is particularly'nseful where it is desired to make a very thin heaterl In this case the core B isincluded as a part of the circuit, one connection being made to the outer endb, the other to the inner end a; but it is clear that such connection is not limited to the spiral coil. If desirable,-,a number of connections can be made with intermediate points, either on this coil or those above described, for the purpose of varying the amount of Wire in circuit, and these connections can consequently be controlled by suit- 'able switches in any'well-known manner, so

that any combination of coils can be included in circuit at any given time.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. An electric heater comprising a flexible core bent into. a series of alternate helical coils and bends or loops, 3. resistance-wire helically wound about the respective helical coils of said core, andmeans for supporting said core at the respective bends or loops thereof.

2. An electric heater comprising a single flexible insulated core in the form of a series of alternate'bends or loops and helical coils, I

a resistance-wire wound upon the helical coils of said core, and means for supporting said core at the respective bends or loops thereof.

3. The combination with a core of flexible material which is sufiiciently rigid to retain between the several coils, and meansfor sup-' porting the coils at the eyes.

5. In an electric-heater, the combination of a plurality of counterpart coils, each coil consisting of a number of turns of helicallywonnd resistance-wire, a com mon core for the coils wound in the form of openhelices, eyes formed in the core between the coils, rods extending through the eyes, and insulators between the;eyes and the rods.

material, which is sufficiently rigid to retain the shape into which it is bent, of a plurality ofresistance-c'oils wound helically on separate successive portions of the core, said core being wound so that each part wound with resistance-wire will form a helical coil, where- 6. The combination with a core of flexible by the resistance-coils are made double helices, the free portionsot the core between the helical coils being adapted to support the structure.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 22d day of April, 1897.

JOSEPH H. JENKINS. Witnesses:

E. W. CADY,

A. F. MACDONALD. 

